Skip to main content
Arts & Entertainment

Get the most out of your Thanksgiving weekend with these guides to local fun

The Turkey Trot in Golden Gate Park is a San Francisco Thanksgiving tradition. | Alexandra Kenin

Whether the final Thursday of November is your favorite day of the year or your personal politics discourage acknowledging Thanksgiving at all, chances are you're going to have one or two extra days off this holiday weekend.

Wondering what to do with all that extra time? We’ve got some ideas: Get a jump-start on that gift list, walk off the sweet potato pie or just lay on the couch watching some Hulu.

Take a spin through our guide to getting the most out of the next 96 hours.

Owner Beth Hughes stands among the selection of natural wines and spirits at Bottle Bacchanal in San Francisco. | Don Feria for the Standard

Grab Last-Minute Thanksgiving Essentials

Everyone forgets something. Some of us forget everything. If you need a last-minute vegan blackberry crumble, or you can’t remember which wine varietals won’t clash with the sulfurous quality of brussels sprouts, we got you, boo.

Fill Up Before Your Flight

There’s nothing like the anxiety of a packed airport, especially after paying twice as much to fly as you did last year. So we broke down every good place at all four SFO terminals.

Get Inspired For Gift-Giving

Figuring out what to get the people you care about can be challenging. Take our advice and start local with these great gift ideas for the fashionistas, foodies and music fans in your life. We've even got a directory of equity-first dispensaries for all the caring cannabis-lovers on your list.

Do Some Good For a Change

If you haven’t done much for humanity lately, consider helping out the many wonderful do-gooders who toil all year long at the Glide Foundation, the SF-Marin Food Bank and elsewhere. In all seriousness, this may be the wealthiest city in all of history, but too many of our neighbors are in urgent need of food, something warm to wear and a friendly face who smiles and makes eye contact.

Soccer fans attend an outdoor watch party in Sue Bierman Park during the last World Cup. (Photo by Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) | Source: Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

Watch the World Cup

The World Cup itself looks to be a bit of a logistical nightmare with a monster helping of homophobia, but we’ve got 15 venues where you can watch the beautiful game this weekend—along with details on San Francisco’s own World Cup Village viewing site.

Enjoy a Drink and Casual Conversation

Massive bass drops are great on the dance floor, but they don't exactly facilitate nuanced conversation. If you're looking to enjoy a Negroni or a locally produced sour beer in a quiet setting, here are our picks for local bars where you don't have to yell to be heard.

City Lights Bookstore and Publisher on Columbus Avenue in North Beach. | Camille Cohen/The Standard

Read a Book Set in the Bay Area

From the time capsule of 1970s Russian Hill (Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City) to reminiscences of the Fillmore’s Black heyday (Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings) there’s really nothing like a literary glimpse of San Francisco. So we’ve got 13 novels and memoirs set here for you to peruse—or give as gifts.

Catch Up On Streaming

Nothing could be worse than a Thanksgiving dinner table conversation about Marjorie Taylor Greene. The second-worst thing is when everyone’s talking about a great show they all watched, and you have nothing to contribute. So why not watch the Game of Thrones spinoff already? (Or Hacks, The Bear, or all these others, for that matter?)

Just Get Out of the House Already

Leftover apple pie for breakfast is a wonderful tradition. So is walking it off afterward, either on one of San Francisco’s many soon-to-be-permanent Slow Streets, Golden Gate Park’s now-permanently car-free JFK Drive or at the annual Turkey Trot.

If all else fails, just go to Union Square and make goo-goo eyes at the puppies and kittens in Macy’s windows. Happy Thanksgiving!